Following a withdrawal from a competing candidate, former Kitchener MP Mike Morrice is now the only one left in the running to become the next leader of the federal Green Party.
It comes after Nira Dookeran announced she would be stepping out of the leadership race, leaving Morrice, who previously served as the MP for Kitchener Centre, as the only option to take on the position after previous leader Elizabeth May announced she would not be holding the spot heading into the next election.
“For personal and family reasons, after much soul-searching, I have decided to withdraw from the Green Party of Canada Leadership Contest,” said Dookeran in a statement.
“I want to sincerely thank all the volunteers, donors, friends and supporters who came forward over the last 12 weeks to contribute to our campaign. It has been an inspiring, energizing, and humbling experience to work alongside so many talented, dedicated Greens for a cause we all share.”
While she backed out of the running, she still had well wishes for Morrice, wishing him the best of luck as the party enters into a difficult chapter.
“I want to express my best wishes to Mike Morrice, my fellow candidate in the Leadership Contest. We, as a Party, have a big job ahead of us,” Dookeran stated.
“What I have learned over the last 12 years as an active member of the GPC, and seen especially up-close-and-personal in the last 12 weeks of campaigning, is how much talent, skill, experience, initiative, and dedication to the Green cause there is on the ground across the country.”
Responding to the announcement, Morrice gave a statement to FM 985, saying that regardless of Dookeran stepping back, it doesn’t take away from the key role she has played in growing the party to what it is today.
“Earlier today, I spoke with Nira and thanked her again for stepping forward as a candidate in this leadership race, and for her long-time contributions to the party,” Morrice stated.
“As we wait to hear from the party about the logistics of what comes next, our campaign continues as before, because the work continues as before: to grow the party, and in doing so, help build the movement needed to take on the billionaire class and fight for regular Canadians in the face of a worsening climate crisis.”
He continued to say that the party has seen a surge in donations, volunteers, and membership growth, all of which he said will “continue to be incredibly important to build our collective power.”
Morrice was previously elected as MP for Kitchener Centre back in 2021, but lost in the most recent election to the Conservative Party by a margin of less than 400 total votes.
FM 985 has reached out to Mike Morrice for comment.
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